Operation LOVE: The Epilogue
by sorenitysloth
Summary: The DCFDTL really did fall in love with Kuki, but they don't realize it yet. Sequel/Prequel to Operation L.O.V.E. Tw: mentions of child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

After being foiled by those belligerent kids next dorks for...more times than they'd care to remember, the Delightful Children defeatedly made their way offstage; before more damage could be done to the very expensive leather jacket Father had commissioned just for this play. _Tch. It wasn't like they were going to wear it ever again. _But if Father saw so much as a speck of dust on the lavish article of clothing he would...surely not take kindly to it. And they knew more than anyone, to avoid getting on Father's bad side.

Once that hokey play put on by incompetent ne'er-do-wells, was finally over, the children made a hasty retreat. They planned on getting back to the mansion without being seen by anyone. They'd been humiliated enough when those stupid kids next door ruined their performance. "Where do you think _you're_ going?" a familiar voice shouted at them. The Children started trembling instinctively at the sound of Father's booming voice.

"...without your dear Father?"

The Children should have been glad that Father showed up at all. But for some reason they just felt even more tired.

_It wouldn't kill him to show up for their actual __performance_...But alas it was probably better that he hadn't seen how terribly they had flopped...

Several parents, and kids from the school newspaper, crowded around the limo, with cameras and microphones. Some of them wanted interviews with the new stars of Gallagher Elementary, some wanted autographs, and others just wanted extremely private personal info that the Children weren't sure they were comfortable giving out.

They didn't understand. They were supposed to be soaking up the fame and attention. They were supposed to be basking in the glory bestowed upon them by adulthood. They were loved. They were wanted. Right? Isn't this what they'd been aiming for all along? But all they felt was discomfort, a bit violated. They were exhausted and just wanted to go home.

"All right, out of the way, people. My little stars are going out for ice cream!"

Father spending time with them and rewarding them for their efforts was a nice thought...but did he really have to announce what they were doing in front of the whole crowd? Now those pesky camerapeople were going to crowd around every ice cream shop in town until they found them...and then bother them some more.

When they arrived at the ice cream parlor, the Delightfuls couldn't even enjoy their ice cream. For they had run out of jimmies and forgotten to stock back up on them. How could they eat ice cream without jimmies? It was simply unheard of!

When they finally arrived back at the mansion, all they wanted to do was crash. But Father couldn't even let them have that. "Don't forget to do your chores!" he hollered as he made his way to his bedchamber.

Chores? _Chores? It was 8pm and he was thinking about chores?_ On a week night they'd already be in bed by now! But they knew that if they disobeyed, they'd get yelled at in the morning, so they sulkily changed out of their costume and prepared to clean the house.

The Children had trouble getting to sleep that night. They had trouble getting to sleep every night though. Their bodies were practically physically inseparable. So no matter what positions they slept in, there was bound to be some discomfort. Eventually they'd drift off to sleep though, only to be awakened by Father at the crack of dawn.

"Up, up, up! Everyone up! We have important business to take care of today!"

"...yes, Father..." the Children resounded unanimously.

First they were to brush their teeth, although they'd just be getting them dirty again anyway...Then they were to take their shower. After that they were to report to the kitchen for breakfast...and then it was back up to the bedchamber...to brush their teeth..._again._

After taking care of their dental hygiene for the umpteenth time, they were to complete their chores. And after their chores were finished they were to take their mandatory piano lessons. This was their life. While other kids were outside playing and having fun, they were inside, doing as the adults ordered them. But they did not mind. After all, they had no clue what they were missing.

**A****/N: The title says "Epilogue" but it's more of a chapter fic sequel/prequel/continuation (yes, all three) of events that happen before and after the episode. Also Children or Delightful or whatever, will be capitalized when talking about the Delightful Children as a collective entity and their names will be used when talking about one specific child so as not to cause confusion when talking about other (non-delightful) children. Also in some of my stories the DCFDTL are kidnapped Sector Z operatives and in some they were born delightful. Even though this fic is based off of a canon episode, this story will be taking place in the "born delightful au" to make the events of later chapters more plausible.**


	2. Chapter 2

From a young age the Delightful Children had been taught that the outside world was dark and scary. They were not to interact with strangers, even children their own age, without the accompaniment of an adult guardian. They could not give out their trust so easily. They were to obey and listen to adults no matter how absurd their commands, and trust that they were right. Oftentimes they would gaze out the cold mansion windows and see other children playing on the sidewalk.

They didn't see what was so bad. The kids were just throwing a ball back and forth. It looked like they were having fun.

The smallest of the Children, age 5, gazed up at their elderly caretaker, with big round pupils. "Nanny" he pulled at the cloths of her silk gown. "Why can't we play outside? I see other kids play out there all the time. Why can't we join them?"

"Come here, sonny. There is much you have to learn...about the world beyond these windows."

She grasped his tiny hand softly in her own.

"Those kids out there are ruffians...dirty filthy animals, that you mustn't associate yourselves with..."

Bruce did not understand the big words that tumbled out of the elderly woman's mouth but he listened intently with big curious eyes.

"If you go out there, they'll taint you with their vile ways, taint your purity. You'll be outcast. Never to be loved and accepted again. You'll have nowhere to return to. _You want to be loved, don't you? You don't want to become impure, do you?"_ The woman's shadowed wrinkly face stared down at the child with wide mesmerizing eyes. The child had no choice but to nod obediently along with what the woman said, despite the fact that he did not quite understand it.

"Good," the woman gripped the child's shoulders tightly, "Any more questions?" her voice changed from menacing to endearing in 5 seconds flat.

Bruce quickly shook his head no, then the Children gathered around to listen while the lady read them the story of "Little Red Riding Hood and the Poor Unsuspecting Wolf."


	3. Chapter 3

The Delightful Children were bored and Father didn't come home from work until late at night. Drinking tea and listening to their nanny read them stories was nice, but after a while of the same old routine they longed for a bit of change.

"Nanny...It's such a nice day out. May we please go out for a stroll in the park?"

But the old woman only gave them a flat "No. Your father's rules, not mine."

The Children only sighed and went back to drawing pictures and staring at the ceiling.

Feeling dejected, and unsatisfied, the 5 Children came up with a plan together, to get out of the house while the old crone wasn't looking. They would sneak out one of the windows and then...they'd be free.

The tallest child propped the others upon his shoulders and they pulled the window handle tightly but ended up knocking each other over. They quickly clamored to their feet, making sure they hadn't made too much noise. Then they decided that they needed to find a better way to get the window open.

Father let them own a few jumpropes, claiming it would help them get exercise, but he never let them use them outside. After tying some jumpropes together, they tied them to the window doors, and gave a big pull. The handle budged a smidgen but they needed more power. Giving all their might, all five Children pulled tightly and the door opened just a crack. With one last pull, they braced for impact, and the window doors flew open. The second tallest child fell backwards.

"Lenny!" the other Children rushed to his side "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." he coughed and spat a bit, and a small tooth fell out of his mouth.

"Neat...a souvenir," the child grabbed his tooth and stuffed it into a shorts pocket.

"Lenny...that is disgusting" David admonished him.

"Better get rid of that before Father sees it," the blonde girl teased, elbowing her brother in the chest.

The shorter girl only grunted in annoyance at her siblings' immaturity.

The Children quickly got back up and scouted the area to make sure their guardian hadn't seen anything. They were surprised at how bad her hearing was, but went along their way, before they had a chance to get caught.

The Children quickly pushed through the window, short children first. It would have been ideal if they tried going through one at a time, but some siblings proved to be more impatient than others.

"Connie move over!" Bruce shouted at his sister. Constance only spat and hissed, and tried pushing past her annoying brother. "Bruce. Constance. If you can't behave we can always stay at home," David stated in a stern voice.

If it was his choice they wouldn't have disobeyed the rules at all. But one child could not fight back against four. The two smaller siblings begrudgingly grunted and slowly pushed through the doorway.

As soon as they stepped out of the mansion, sunlight softly cradled the five Children. It was so warm and pretty. In the 5-6 years of their existence, they had never felt the feeling of sunlight upon their skin.

"So...what now?" they asked themselves. They were finally outside but they didn't know anything about the outside world. Only those terrible stories the adults always told them. They didn't know what to do or where to go.

They could go back to the mansion but...no. They were free. They should explore this new world.

But they only made their way a short way down the sidewalk before their nanny came running up to them and started dragging them away by the hand.

"How dare you disobey Father's orders!" She shouted at them. "Do you know how lucky you are to have clothes and food and a bed? Anything could have happened to you out there!"

"We just wanted to pla-" Bruce started but was interrupted by a smack to the face.

"You are not to disobey your elders and that is final," she stared down at them with menacing eyes, as she dialed Father's work number.

Bruce started shaking, and his siblings hugged him tightly as they watched the woman tattle on them.

Once Father arrived they heard the two adults yelling back and forth outside.

Father stormed into the mansion in a rage that night. The children did not know what happened but their nanny never showed up at the mansion again.

Father gave them a stern talking-to after finding out what they'd done.

"Things are going to change around here," he started. The children gulped when they saw the fire in his eyes. "You are to complete all your house chores no less than three times a day. You are not to go outside, without the company of an adult. You are not to associate with the neighborhood children. You are not to disobey your adult superiors at any cost. If you fail to abide by these rules you _will _face punishment. Do you hear me?"

The children only trembled beneath his wrathful gaze.

"_D__o you hear me?"_ he repeated louder this time.

"Y-yes, Father!" They stammered and refused to make eye contact with the man.

"Good. You're to stay inside your bedchamber and you are not to leave until I say so."

"Yes, Father..."

The children were confined to their bedroom until further notice. This was their first punishment for disobeying Father. One of the more mild ones, to say the least.

They still weren't allowed to go outside but that rule was now reinforced, and security measures were put into place so that it would not be so easy for them to sneak out again.

Father got a stay-at-home job so that he could monitor their every move and punish them accordingly when they disobeyed him.

It had been a long time since the incident. It felt like forever. But the children mostly kept to their bedroom and didn't come out unless Father had some chore for them to do. They didn't say much. What was there to say? And they didn't do much. They mostly just watched the snow fall and the rain drip down their bedroom window.

Until one autumn day, Bruce's 6th birthday to be exact.

"Suit up," Father shouted at the children and threw them some fancy-looking outfits. "You're going to school!"


	4. Chapter 4

The Children didn't know much about school. Just that it was a place to learn, meaning there would be other kids there. It was kind of scary but at least it was an excuse to get away from the mansion.

"Kids, we have some new students today. Be nice to them, okay?" the kindergarten teacher announced to the class.

The children were nervous, but it couldn't be that bad.

"Hey, new friends! Over here!" called the chipper voice of a hyperactive young girl, clad in green.

_Friends? Is she talking to us?_ The Delightful Children blushed a bit. They had never had a friend before.

"C'mere c'mere c'mere!" the little girl shouted and grabbed Ashley by the arm.

"My name is Kuki. And this is Best Friends Forever Rainbow Monkey!" the child held out the stuffed toy's arm for the Delightful Children to shake.

They had never seen a stuffed toy before and were kind of taken aback.

"We're...The Delightful Children from Down the Lane."

"That's not a name," Kuki laughed at the taller kids.

"Yes it is!" they shouted defensively. "That is how we have always addressed ourselves!" or at least how Father told them to address themselves in front of other adults.

"No, silly. Your real names," the smaller child pondered.

"Our...real names?" Nobody had ever asked them for their real names and they were a bit taken off-guard.

Bruce cleared his throat, "I'm Bruce and these are Constance, Ashley, David, and Lenny."

"Ooo! So fancy," Kuki clapped her hands and giggled.

"Would you like to have tea with me and my rainbow monkeys?"

"We'd be delighted to have tea with our new friend."

As soon as Kuki handed them the plastic teacups though, they put down the strange red liquid.

"This isn't tea! What are you feeding us?!"

"Not real tea, sillies! Real tea is yucky. We drink fruit punch!"

"Fruit...punch?" They had never heard of such a beverage. Father let them drink tea and water, not much else.

"It's good! Try it!"

They cautiously lifted the strange concoction up to their lips and tasted a strange sweetness that they didn't know existed. It was much more interesting than that dull tea they'd been drinking up to that point. They wanted to learn more about the things they'd been missing out upon.


	5. Chapter 5

When they came home from school, Father was waiting for them. He asked them all about their day, but they had nothing interesting to report. Except when they told him they made a friend. Now he was paying attention. He wanted to know everything about this new "friend" of theirs, yes.

When Father remained silent for longer than usual they became nervous. They knew they weren't supposed to interact with other children, but since Father decided to send them to school, it was kind of unavoidable. They thought that perhaps he had changed his mind by now. _Indeed he had..._

The Delightful Children were innocent enough. They only did what Father asked of them. They had no idea what he planned on doing, with the information they brought back to him.

Kuki Sanban, a newly recruited Kids Next Door member, was the perfect person to use as their pawn.

Father would let them have their fun for a short time, before letting them know what was up.

Kuki was ill-mannered and a bit odd, but it was refreshing to have another child to converse with. The Delightful Children had never really been exposed to normal kid stuff, and their new friend was like a window into a world they'd never known.

They played games and shared stuffed animals. They had to raise an eyebrow at the mention of ideas like "dress-up." Wasn't it proper etiquette to dress up every day? But they enjoyed how carefree and expressive Kuki was. Like she had no worries in the world. It made them forget about how boring life back at the mansion was.

One day, during class some kids started making fun of the Childrens' outfits. "Why do you wear the same outfits every day? Don't you have any other clothes?"

The students laughed and pointed fingers at them.

The Children didn't see what was wrong with their outfits. They were just school uniforms. Any well-respecting individual owned at least one.

"We'll have you know our Father is very rich!"

"If he's so rich why don't he buy you a change of clothes, eh?"

"That's because! That's because..." their minds went completely blank and they just stood in the middle of the room, words stuck in the back of their throats, while the people around them chanted "Delightful Dorks! Delightful Dorks!"

They didn't know why...They really didn't know. Father had all the money in the world but he rarely took them shopping for new clothes, or new anything really. Everything they had, had just sort of been handed to them at some point and they had never thought to ask for more. Even if they did they knew their requests would be shut down. But Father had given them everything. They had no right to ask for more. Sure they wore the same outfits every day, but...so what? They weren't doing anything wrong...

Was this what Father meant when he told them that children were cruel? Was this what he had been preparing them for all along?

Their fists started shaking uncontrollably and their eyes lit up with a malice they didn't know was hiding deep inside them.

_But no_...they pushed the feeling down. _T__hat wasn't right. It couldn't be...because..._

"You leave _my friends_ alone!"

_Their living proof was right here._

A blur of ebony and green rushed before their line of sight and held it's arms out in a protective stance.

_Because she was there, before their very eyes, protecting them that entire time._


	6. Chapter 6

"You leave _my friends _alone!" Kuki ran at the mean kids and hit them in the face with her stuffed animals. "Hey, lay off!" The bigger kid shouted. "No! Not until you promise not to pick on my friends anymore."

"I'll think about it..." Giving an unsatisfied glare Kuki held up a teddybear canon that had been hiding somewhere inside her big sweater. "Ok, ok, I give!" the kid backed up. "Good. Anyone else?"

The bullies shook their heads and fled before she had a chance to do anything else.

The Delightful Children lowered their heads in embarrassment. "You didn't have to do that really...We could have handled them ourselves."

"Could you, really?" she glanced at them doubtfully. "It's my duty as a good friend and Kids Next Door member to protect my friends from meanies!" Kuki stuck out her tongue and gave a salute.

The Delightful Children giggled. That was the first time she'd heard them laugh.

"By the way, what's this Kids Next Door thing? Some kind of game?"

"Oops. Did I say that out loud? Don't tell anyone" she whispered in a silly voice.

The Children stared at her in curiosity.

"The Kids Next Door is an organization who helps kids in trouble."

"Wow...that sounds super cool!" they stared at her in awe and admiration. "We want to hear all about them!"

"Oh...that might be a bit of a problem. You aren't really supposed to share a lot of info unless you're in the organization. Privacy reasons. To keep things safe."

"Oh..." they looked down in disappointment, "That's still really neat though."

"Hehe yeah...well, see you tommorrow?"

"Of course!" they shouted goodbye as they made their way home.

When they got home, Father called the children to his study.

"As you know, this Sunday is David's 7th birthday."

The Children nodded and stayed quiet until Father was finished speaking.

"And since it is a very special occasion I will be baking you a delicious cake and throwing a huge birthday party! Well, what do say about that?!"

The Children were speechless. A birthday party? Father had never been so generous in the past. But they couldn't complain.

"That sounds...delightful, Father. Thank you!" They gathered around him. "By the way, F-father?"

"Hmm?"

"M-may we invite our dear friend, Kuki Sanban to the party?" Lenny queried sheepishly.

Father lay back in his swivel chair and tapped his fingers together, a sign that he was deep in thought. "Sure...why not...?" the words menacingly escaped his lips.

The Children sprang to their feet in excitement. "Thank you very much, Father!"


	7. Chapter 7

When they got to school the next day, the Children rushed to tell their friend the news. But she did not show up to class that day. It was lonely without her around, but they could try again the next day. As they walked home from school however, they saw a familiar face skipping down the sidewalk.

"Kuki!" they shouted. "Oh, hey guys! Sorry I wasn't at school today! I had a very important mission to complete."

"It's okay. By the way we have something to tell you!"

"Ooh can it wait? If I don't get home for supper my parents won't be too happy."

"Ah-" but before they could say anything, she skipped away singing goofily.

The wind swiftly blew the pastel party invitation out of their hands and onto the crooked part of the sidewalk.

They waited for her to show up to school the next day, but she never showed. Were these Kids Next Door really that important...? They didn't understand. She was their best friend. She was supposed to be there for them. But all she talked about lately was Kids Next Door this, Kids Next Door that. It was almost as if they were more important to her than...No. They shook away the bad thought. They mustn't be selfish now. They were happy they had such a great friend...

No...it was those Kids Next Door. They were the ones stealing their best friend away from them...

The fury that raged inside them was short from boiling over. But they tried to keep it inside them.

It was Friday. They had one more shot at getting their friend's attention.

"Please come to our birthday party!" they begged after handing over the invitation.

"Oh...this is such short notice. I wish you told me sooner."

_We've been trying __to_...they silently grumbled to themselves.

"Nevermind that. Just be sure to show up, okay?"

"Sorry guys...I already had plans with my friends from the Treehouse."

Their hearts stopped for a moment and a small string snapped inside them.

"It's fine...have fun with your friends."

"I'm really sorry...I'll show up next time for sure!"

But the Delightful Children were already gone. And little did any of them know, there would not _be_ a next time.


	8. Chapter 8

The Children felt hurt and betrayed that their friend could not make it to their party.

And Father saw to it, to use their emotional turmoil to further execute his plans.

"So your little friend bailed on you at the last second, did she?"

"Well not exactl-"

"_Did she or didn't __she?_" his voice grew louder.

"Y-yes, Father..." the Children murmured without enough time to really think about what they were saying.

"Typical of those despicable Kids Next Door..."

"You know about the Kids Next Door, Father?"

"_Know about them_? Why, they're my archenemies!"

The Children remained silent for a moment. They had no idea.

"If you knew Kuki was a Kids Next Door member, why did you let us become friends with her?"

"Hmm? You children never listen when us adults warn you about people. So I decided to let you see for yourselves, what wretched creatures they are."

"Why are the Kids Next Door our enemies, Father?"

"What a ridiculous question. Because they get in the way of us, adults, _our fun_, that's why."

The Children listened intently.

"We adults do everything for our children! Feed them, clothe them, and what do we get in return? Squat! If it weren't for us adults those brats wouldn't be here right now! But they go around throwing around words like "adult tyranny" and "threat to kidkind" as if _we're_ the bad guys."

The Delightful Children looked down in shame. Father did do everything for them. And they had to be grateful for that. They shouldn't have expected more in the first place.

"But not _you _guys. You're _good kids_. You follow the rules and do as you're told. Unlike those unruly Kids Next Door. My _perfect_ little Delightful Children."

He roughly tousled their hair.

Were they really good kids? Sometimes they wondered. But if Father said so, it must be true.

Father told them all sorts of stories about the Kids Next Door, and the awful ways they treated their adult superiors.

He talked badly about children in general though. If they weren't perfect like his _delightful little angels, _they weren't worth his time.

The Children started getting a sick feeling in their stomachs. Father had invited several children to their birthday party, none whom they had actually met. They were probably all kids from high class rich families like theirs.

The Delightful Children did not want to hang out with other rich kids. It only reminded them of how boring and uptight their own lives were. But did they really have a choice? They should be happy Father invited anyone at all. They were given everything they could ever need. They hadn't the right to question that.

Maybe they could even become friends with the guests that showed up.

At least they weren't those awful Kids Next Door...The Children shook their heads. What were they thinking? Were Father's words already getting to them? But that bitter feeling they felt, when Kuki rejected their invitation still stirred deep in their hearts.

Father made the Children go to bed early Saturday night, so that they could get up early and prepare for the party.

When they had finished getting dressed, the Children waited outside for their guests to show up. But nobody came. They did not understand. Where were their guests? Didn't they get the invitations?

At noon, Father called them in to the dining room. The room was pitch black. When Father turned the lights on, the Children were horrified to find several children, some of them classmates, tied to the dining room chairs and singing "Happy Birthday" in a monotonous melancholic tone. "Louder!" Father hollered, "You're on public television!"

The Children did not know what to think. Was this some sort of prank? A practical joke, perhaps? But Father was not the type to pull such charades. "And now, you are all going to watch my Delightful Children eat their ultra delicious birthday cake right in front of you! Without sharing!"

_This wasn't what they had wanted_...That cake did look very yummy, but there was no way they could finish the whole thing among themselves. And wasn't sharing the polite thing to do? They felt very conclicted, but they did not want to disobey Father...

"Well? What are you waiting for? Dig in!"

"...yes, Father."

Oh, what should they do? They really did not want to be here right now...

_Oh, if only_...right then someone busted through the doors and windows, and five children in protective gear surrounded the dining room table.

_Could it be?...The Kids Next Door? Were they saved from putting on such an awful performance?_ The Delightful Children let out a sigh of relief, before realizing, they were _not _the ones being saved...

The leader, a weird-looking kid in sunglasses and a red sweater, was shouting orders at his comrades.

The Children did not understand what was going on, until they realized those kids were planning on stealing their entire cake.

"Hey, where are you going with our cake? We haven't even had a chance to taste it yet!"

"And as soon as do, you won't let anyone else."

_That wasn't true..._"Please, don't take our cake..."

They hadn't gotten a good look at the KND members but once they did, they noticed a girl in a familiar green sweater.

_"Kuki?"_

The girl glanced at them and smiled sadly.

"We thought you couldn't make it..."

"I couldn't...but then we got an emergency mission at the last second..."

"Numbuh 3, what are you doing? We have no time to slack off" one of her teammates called out to her.

"I'm sorry, but this is my duty as a Kids Next Door operative."

There she was, putting her teammates ahead of her friends once again...but the Children pushed their pettiness aside for a second just to ask...

"_Why...?_ We're friends, aren't we? Why are you doing this? Why are you taking our cake?"

Kuki looked away sadly. "I'm sure you have your reasons. But I can't just stand by and do nothing, while you eat your cake in front of all those kids..."

_No. They wanted to share. They wanted to save a slice just for her...if only she'd stick around to hear it..._They grabbed her arm, but her teammates, thinking they planned to attack, knocked them away from her.

Before they had a chance to do anything, their cake was gone, and their friend, along with it.

As soon as the KND left, Father stopped televising the party and dragged the Children to a dark room, where he made them grovel on the floor, while he beat them with a belt.

"Why did you let those brats get away with the cake that I slaved over for hours, just for you?"

"We're sorry..."

"_Huh?"_

"W-we're very sorry, Father. W-we won't let it happen again!"

"_You better not."_

He scalded their backs in fresh flames.

"And don't let me catch you hanging around that Kuki Sanban brat ever again."

"Yes...Father..."

Kuki tried talking to them at school the next day. She wanted to hear what they had tried to say to her, before being whisked away by her companions.

But all they could say to her was..."Leave us alone. We aren't your friends. From this point on, you and I..._are enemies."_

And they walked away before she had a chance to see the tears that pricked at the back of their eyelids.

It was for the best. As long as they weren't around, they could not hurt her. And even if they did, that just gave her enough of an excuse to stay away from them. They had already been painted as villains, by the media and the kids at their party. If Kuki hung around them, the other kids would ostracize her. The Kids Next Door were their enemies. And as long as Father was around, that wasn't going to change.

_Oh...how they wanted to run up to her and apologize and tell her everything_...but if they did that, Father would surely find out...and if that happened, they would be in big trouble. So they kept to themselves and did as Father said.

Kuki did not know what was going on, but if the Children did not want to be friends with her, she could not force them to. She was going to miss those kids...but she was a happy girl...and she had her rainbow monkeys to keep her company...

So the Delightful Children listened to Father and learned about their "enemies." They relied on no one but themselves, and the adults that offered them their services. They didn't need anything or anyone else. Other people only stirred up unwanted emotions of happinness and guilt inside them. And those were things that they had learned to live without. What good was having emotions anyway? As long as they kept themselves emotionally detached from other people, nobody could get hurt. Not themselves, nor anyone else. They became cold, calcuating, and apathetic, towards the feelings and desires of others. Even if the world branded them as villains, they could at least say that they earned that title, and uphold it with pride. Villains? So be it. At least it was better than being cast aside and forgotten.

Many years passed, and many birthday cakes had been sabotaged. But it wasn't until about 4 years later, that the 5 Children heard that all-too-familiar voice, call out their names once again.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a long time since they'd been on a first-name basis with her. They, of course, referred to everyone by first and last name, whether or not they were acquainted, out of respect. But she only referred to them by their title. Everyone did. She had probably forgotten they even had individual names by now. Most people forgot they were 5 separate people and referred to them as one collective entity. Could anyone blame them?

They had forgotten as well. What life had been like before they started making other kids' lives miserable. They'd lost pretty much any sense of individuality they once had. And they hadn't really gained much, outside the realm of social status. Everything they did was mainly to gain the approval of others. To gain the love and admiration they deserved.

They had jumped at the opportunity to star in the school play. Of course they only got in because they bribed the director...but sometimes sacrifices needed to made. It would all be worth it for the love and attention they would garner.

They just weren't expecting...what would happen next. They knew it was a love story. No big deal. They had never kissed anyone before, but how hard could it be? _They'd just go in for the kill and get it over with. _It was a small price to pay for the ticket to stardom.

But that still couldn't prepare them for _who_ they'd be locking lips with. The Delightful Children peeked behind the curtain and hid their faces behind their script. _Why, oh why, did it have to be her._..

Their hearts felt like they were going to beat out of their chests. They hadn't had a normal conversation with her in years. They were scared to even approach her.

They slapped themselves in the face and pulled themselves together. They would just go out there and get it over with. It was only the first rehearsal session. _If they couldn't even get through this, they could say goodbye to the idea of becoming famous stars._

They took a deep breath, went out on stage and said their corny lines. Then it was time for the kiss, but they weren't ready. _No, rewind. Do-over. They were so blowing this. _Their bodies involuntarily froze up and Kuki went in for the kiss, but they weren't processing any of it. As soon as their lips collided with hers, the 5 Children fell to the floor in embarrassment.

This was too strange. Too sudden. It was just acting. There was no need for things to be awkward, but they were.

They tried some more, but they just could not get past the awkwardness. How humiliating. Now the whole school knew how bad they were at kissing. Not that it mattered. Nothing really mattered. Except for the adults they'd put their trust and faith in.

After the rehearsal, they took a break in the dressing room. They heard a knock at the door. It was her. They quickly slammed the door, but decided that was rude and answered properly.

"Hey. Yooou," Kuki gently punched Ashley's shoulder. "What do you want? We're very busy."

"I just wanted to talk. Want to take a trip to the soda bar?"

"We're not allowed to drink soda, and neither are you," they resounded coldly.

"You can just tell Father that practice ran late," the girl put on her cutest puppy dog look.

They scoffed defeatedly. This girl just didn't give up, did she?

"Fine, but we aren't drinking any soda!"

"Sure, sure. Now come on!" she dragged them away so carelessly. It was really bothersome...

Once they arrived at the bar, they grabbed a seat. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. How you've been?"

"That's it?"

"Well it's been a long time since we've talked like this...as friends."

_Friends. _That word irritated them for some reason.

"We're not friends!" They abruptly stood up. "We're leaving!"

But she grabbed at their arms again, with the grip of a baby koala. There was something a bit comforting about the touch of her hand, and they hated it so.

"Please stay. I just want to talk to you."

"Nobody wants to talk to us. Except those kids who think they're getting a slice of our birthday cake. So spill it. What do _you_ want from us?"

"Nothing. You just seem stressed that's all. I thought you could use a friend to talk to."

_They hated how easily she saw through them_. "Yeah, so? What can you do about it?"

"Be a good friend by listening to your problems. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though."

_Believe us...you're the last person we want to __tell. _They looked at the ground in defeat.

"Are you alright? You look a bit flushed."

"We're fine."

"You aren't worried about the play, are you?"

"What's it to _you?_" they looked off to the side in a huffy pout.

_Bingo_.

Kuki smiled mischievously and looked into their eyes. Sure enough, they were avoiding her gaze.

Kuki loved mushy gushy romance stories so she wasn't phased by the thought of getting into character, after all, it was just a role. But she could understand if the Delightfuls felt embarrassed about it.

"We can practice kissing if it will make you less nervous."

_Did she have to be so blunt?_ They glared at her in disbelief.

"You don't want to kiss me?" she giggled. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

"...we want to..." they grumbled quietly.

"What did you say?"

"Can we go somewhere more private?" they responded crossly.

"Your wish is my command," she held out her hand.

They grabbed her hand roughly.

"It's just for practice..." they mumbled quietly to themselves.


	10. Chapter 10

How had they ended up here, of all the places? Hidden comfortably inside a mountain of soft plush toys, while the dark-haired girl softly kissed them.

At least no one was around to see it this time. Once she stopped she looked into their eyes.

"Your turn."

They scowled at the sound of her voice.

"Take as long as you need."

They took a deep breath and quickly kissed the girl.

That was it? How pathetic. They felt nothing. They couldn't believe how stupid they'd acted before. This wasn't hard.

Before they knew it, they were spending time at Kuki's place all the time. Their after-rehearsal kissing practice had become routine.

Kuki showed them all the mushy romance movies she could, in order to help them get a feel for the mood of the play.

They took close note of everything and soon enough they were like characters straight out of a corny romance novel.

This romance thing was a piece of cake. They didn't know why they'd been so nervous about it before.

After some time, they started asking Kuki out on dates. It was, after all, just for practice.

"Hmm let me think about it...Of course I'll go on a date with you, sillies!"

_Dang. They were good._

They held her hand as they walked through an empty park. If anyone suspicious popped up, they'd hide her in their big jacket.

It was nice being out together, by themselves, without being constantly watched by nosy adults.

They never noticed how pretty their dear friend was. Without thinking clearly about what they were doing, they gently wrapped their arms around her in a warm embrace.

"...what are you doing?"

"What...aren't friends allowed to hug each other?"

"Are we friends?" Kuki asked quizzicaly.

"I don't know...are we?"

"Maybe we are. Maybe we aren't."

_Don't toy with us..._

"What? You don't _want _to be our friend now?" they sounded like the thought actually hurt them.

"I said no such thing."

Ugh. They hated her. Well they tried to. Why did she have to go around, interfering with their lives and making them..._feel _things.

"Bruce, Constance, Ashley, David, Lenny."

Their ears pricked up. It had been a long time since _anyone _had called them by those names.

"Do you like me?"

"...well what about you, do you like us?"

"I like everyone!" Kuki stated matter-of-factly.

_Of course she did. _They rolled their eyes.

"So? Do you like me?"

"Yeah. We like you."

"How much?"

Their faces started steaming up and they could no longer look her in the eyes.

"Th-that information is classified, young lady!"

"What if I said I loved you?"

_Enough with the_ _teasing..._

They knew it was all part of her act.

Putting on their corniest act possible, they scooped her into their arms and retaliated "What if I said my heart only beats for thou, o fairest of maidens?"

_Bleh. How sappy could they get?_

Kuki's face turned bright pink. They had never seen her get so flushed before.

Maybe they were laying it on a bit _too _thick.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked.

"_Every word, my beautiful angel._"


	11. Chapter 11

"_Kuki, darling, will you be our girlfriend?" The Children gently grabbed the girl's hand and started kissing all the way up her arm._

_Oh, how could I say no to you guys?"__"_

_"Come, my princess, our chariot awaits," they beckoned to a pink flying unicorn that had a white mane and a golden horn._

_"Oh you shouldn't have!"_

_And they hopped upon the horse's back together, and rode off into the sunset._

Just then the Children woke up to the sound of Father clapping his hands loudly.

_Huh? What kind of a nightmaric hallicination was that? They had been watching too many of those cheesy romance movies._

Finally the day of the play had arrived. It was finally time. Their time to shine. They got into their costume and went out on stage. The crowd was waiting for them.

They said their corny lines. Then it was time for the kiss. This time they were ready. But then, that impudent Wallabee Beatles had to jump in and ruin it...

_How dare he? Who did he think he was? Stealing away their spotlight like that._

But they kept their composure. If they couldn't get their fame the easy way, there was always their backup plan. Taking it by force.

Kuki had tried to get them to sing the corny duet they'd spent hours practicing for, but they shot her down. They'd already made up their minds.

They were the stars of the show. The only stars. They would eliminate anyone who tried getting in their way.

But the kids in the play fought back. At the end of the night, the stage props collapsed on top of them and they made a complete fool of themselves...How humiliating. They walked off stage and slowly made their way out of the school building.

But, despite their pitiful performance, they were indeed getting attention. From adults and kids. The adults of course, were the only ones that really mattered. But still. They thought that once they gained the love and approval of the adults around them, they would finally feel as if all their hard work and effort up to that point would be worth it. But they still weren't happy. In fact, they felt nothing at all.

They did not understand. They had finally gotten the one thing they wanted more than anything in the world. So why weren't they happy? Why weren't they celebrating?

_"To think of the weeks and weeks we spent pretending to like Kuki_," their own words haunted them. Why had they said such a thing...

"_But it was all worth it!"_...maybe it was worth it. But not for the reasons they initially thought.

The look of hurt and disappointment in her face when she heard them say that, and her brusque "Hmph!" nagged at the back of their minds.

They sat in their room for a long time, thinking over the events of the past month or so.

At first they were just in it for the fame, sure...but along the way they had gained an irreplaceable friend that they never knew they needed. And they weren't sure they were ready to lose that over such trivial matters.

The adults praised and "loved" them, but did they really?

Ever since they were young, the adults had ranted and raved about their good behavior and academic achievements. But all they really did was ride on their coattails and make them perform their dirty work, so they didn't have to. They were rewarded for their hard work, but only after performing other people's menial labor...could that really be called love?

But there was one person who spent time with them willingly...not because she had something to gain from it, but because she genuinely cared about them.

They thought back to the words they'd said earlier_. Pretending to like Kuki, huh? ...when had they stopped pretending_?

The truth was...they really did want to sing that corny duet with her...but they got scared at the last second and decided to take the easy way out.

They didn't know why, but they desperately wanted to see her. Why her? Who knows. Why now? No idea. But they wanted her.

That was it. They had to apologize to her tommorrow. And have a proper conversation.

As soon as they saw her at school, they grabbed her arm. The girl turned around for one second, but once she realized who it was, she turned back around and continued walking.

She was usually always friendly. Even to her enemies. _Oh, they'd really messed up this time. Had what they said hurt her that badly?_ Maybe it had hurt themselves even more. Kuki, sweet beloved Kuki.

She was so carefree. Never afraid to speak her mind. And she never cared what anyone else thought of her. She was so beautiful. They had her, if only for a brief moment. Why did they let her fly away?

They had this terrible complex that they carried with them, ever since they were young. That nobody would, that nobody _could,_ ever love them. Not genuinely. So they were very cautious about giving their hearts away.

They wanted that kindness, but they were also scared of it. Scared that it would snatch them up and whisk them away to a place they could never return from. If they were too trusting they would be trampled upon. That was what they had always believed. _Until she came along, once again._


	12. Chapter 12: The Epilogue

The DCFDTL sighed as their crush walked away from them. They had to get her attention somehow. But every time they tried to approach her, she would avoid them. _Ouch. Was this what rejection felt like?_ She couldn't keep this up forever. She had to get tired of it eventually. But the Delightfuls knew full well how much expendable energy that child had. So it would probably take a while.

This was getting tedious. They would have to take more drastic measures. Using the skills they learned from those romance movies, they went with the ultimate cornball route.

They sneakily pulled out a piece of pastel parchment and a writing quill.

"_Dearest, Kuki. I have a matter of utmost importance to discuss with you. Meet me at the soda bar as soon as school ends._

_XOXO,__ Your Dearly Beloved"_

"Anything else?" David asked his siblings.

"Hand me the pen, please" Constance beckoned.

David handed the pen over to his sister and she drew some hearts and flowers around the edges of the parchment.

_"Ooo.._._that's good,"_ her siblings resounded in awe.

"Oh, yeah?" Bruce stepped up and climbed onto David's lap, because he was too short to reach the top of the desk by himself.

"Well, top this!" Bruce covered his lips in bright red marker and dared to leave a kiss mark on the already corny letter.

His siblings gasped at Bruce's boldness and he proudly puffed out his chest.

Once the siblings confirmed that they had added every last corny detail they needed to their letter, they stealthily stuck it through the slits of Kuki's locker, and waited.

After they got tired of waiting, they went back to class and waited for school to end.

As soon as the final bell rang, they waited by the lockers for Kuki to collect their letter. _There she was. _They couldn't take the suspense. She opened the locker, grabbed the note, and...crumpled it into a ball.

The Delightful Children were devastated. But they figured that this was what they got for being bad dates.

Maybe they would go to the soda bar anyway...to drown out their sorrows at the very least.

As soon as they got there, they immediately ordered one rootbeer.

They looked around the room once, before picking out a familiar face from the crowd.

_She actually came!_ But she still looked cross. They'd have to approach her gently.

"H-hey" they stuttered nervously.

"So? What do you want? Only _you _could fake a letter _this _intentionally corny."

They looked down in embarrassment. _Was it that obvious? _

"We um...wanted to apologize for the way we acted. And have been acting."

"Hmm."

"We're sorry for leading you on...we know that you meant those words when you said them. And we shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. We're truly thankful for everything you've done for us. And we really mustn't ask for more...but the truth is. The real truth is...we weren't pretending. None of that was an act...We really...really truly...are in love with you, Kuki Sanban. We were just scared of being rejected. We acted selfish and only thought about protecting ourselves. And for that, we are truly sorry." They hung their heads in shame.

The girl said nothing. She seemed to be deep in thought.

"We mustn't ask for more at this point...but please, if you have it in your heart to forgive us and give us a second chance, we'd like to make it up to you. _We love you, Kuki Sanban. Will you be our girlfriend?"_

"Hmm...let me think...I will _so_ be your girlfriend. Any day of the week!"

The Delightful Children felt hot tears prick at the back of their eyes, once again. But this time they were tears of relief, joy, and triumph.

Kuki gently wiped their tears away and kissed them.

Over the years they taught her many things, like not to judge someone without getting to know them first. And she taught them how to love themselves and others. And that they didn't have to be perfect for her, or anyone else. They learned a lot from each other. And they were happy together. The sixtuple would often get strange looks from others while walking down the street together, but they learned to ignore those who judged them. They were happy together and they loved each other. And they knew that as long as their love stayed strong, nothing could come between them and their happiness ever again.


End file.
